


All of Life is a Coming Home

by ilyena_sylph, Merfilly



Series: Get Out of the Fridge [9]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Moving On
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-15
Updated: 2016-10-15
Packaged: 2018-08-22 13:07:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8286901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilyena_sylph/pseuds/ilyena_sylph, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: The ball is rolling on the Vod'e coming home, and maybe being healed from the psychic scars on them. At least, if Anakin and Rex have their way about it!





	

To her complete lack of surprise, it was her 'suggestions' on the surviving Jedi that were first resolved. Most of the Senators, after all, had had at least one instance of a Jedi aiding them in some way, and once kicked in the backside, were willing to say that the survivors of that mass execution should no longer be hunted. 

Too many Senators cared nothing for the GAR, with no Separatists to fight, for her pushes for the men to gain much traction -- but Bail Organa had turned around and used that very lack of care to suggest that perhaps the troops could be mustered to sparsely populated but secure Republic planets, like Dantooine. Dantooine's Representative met that suggestion with open arms, saying her world would take them all.

She hadn't been sure if she wanted to hug Bail or slap him for that, because where the _vod'e_ were massed, her husband would feel he _had_ to go. And she was enjoying Anakin's presence home with her more than she had thought possible. 

"It does make sense, though," Obi-Wan said, once apprised of the situation. He was growing a bit wraith-like, a silent presence in their lives, actively seeking to stay out of their family's way, while helping as much as he could with the babies. He and Rex had mostly managed to figure out the right way to interact that didn't set off too many memories.

"I can see to getting the process started, see what I can do to head off the trauma," Rex said, aching for Kix's steady presence as he faced the idea. Ahsoka was carefully saying nothing; she wanted to be there to help, and knew it would be a death trap until Rex had made inroads on them.

Anakin moved, laying his hand on his Snips' shoulder because he knew exactly what she was feeling. Knew how much it hurt her not to be able to help them... but she couldn't, not yet. "As soon as it's safe, Snips," he said softly. Rex's thought, loud as a shout, reminded him of that desperate fight, and he eyed his padawan thoughtfully. "Snips, how were you at long-range Seeking?" 

"I'm a Huntress?" she reminded, somewhat snippily, because sometimes she did feel like he ignored her heritage, the fact she was a blooded (and toothed) huntress of her clan. "Like I'd neglect a skill that can help me there? It's the one class I made myself be good for so Master Tiin would accept me into it."

Anakin sighed at her growling, and said, deliberately mildly, "Okay, I should have known that. It's not one I ever had any reason to work with you on, though. Got a challenge for you, then. Find a single Seppie cruiser that made a randomized hyperspace jump out of a Republic ambush in... kriff, Rex, which system?" 

Rex obliged, with a very gruff answer of where he had lost his medic, before looking at Ahsoka hopefully. "Can you find our vod, Commander?"

"It's Kix we're talking about? Of course I will find him!" she said fiercely.

Obi-Wan had to smile, just a little, at the ferocity. At least they actually had a purpose. He was… adrift. The idea of not having a mission was so foreign to him. Yoda and Mace were remaining hidden, trying to aid the few Jedi that they could find on Coruscant proper. He could go to them… but if Anakin did go to the Vod'e, and Ahsoka went Seeking, and Rex was gone, he might be needed by the babies?

Anakin nodded. "That's my Snips," he said, pleased, then let go of Ahsoka's shoulder, he moved to his brother, feeling that adrift uncertainty and hating it. Obi-Wan didn't know how to be without a job to do, any more than he did. He settled his left hand against Obi-Wan's hip, right hand on his shoulder, and let the rest of the world fade out slightly as his brother blinked uncertain blue eyes at him. //Stay,// he said softly, //please. If Rex and I go... I need to know you're here with them, Obi-wan.// 

//Of course I'll stay,// Obi-Wan immediately replied. //I know her staff is excellent with security, but the infants are Force sensitive.// He slowly closed his eyes and inclined his head to Anakin's wishes, though, giving Anakin his full measure of willingness to guard the family members for Anakin.

"I can't help but wonder if the Senate knows they basically just gave the Army to Naboo and Dantooine," Rex commented after a long moment.

"What?" Padmé asked, startled.

Rex shrugged. "We'll remember who helped us, Padmé. And I'm pretty kriffing sure once we kill that chip, the whole Republic can jump off a cliff before we willingly go under arms for them again."

Anakin relaxed at Obi-Wan's assent, leaning his head in against his brother's dipped one, and breathed a little easier -- and then there were Rex's words, and he laughed, very softly. "The brothers do have long memories," he agreed, looking at his wife's surprise with a wry twist of his mouth. She shouldn't be, after all this... but somehow, she wouldn't be her if she wasn't. 

His thoughts on a possible purpose for the vod'e -- once they'd recovered as much as they could -- though, he would keep to himself until he and Rex were alone. 

Padmé shook her head violently. "No. You disabuse them of the notion, Rex. They will be free men! I only want them safe and taken care of. Dantooine is sparsely populated, and they could always settle right there if they wanted!"

Rex shrugged. The Vod'e would do as they needed, in case of trouble with those that had aided them.

Her ferocity, her determination to see the vod'e free... every time Anakin thought he couldn't love his wife more, she proved him wrong. He smiled, helpless, and slowly let go of his brother to move to his wife. 

She gladly embraced him, leaning into his strong arms and placing her head on his shoulder. "Hopefully, I have this whole mess sorted by the time you come home to us," she said softly, refusing to try and convince him to stay with her; they had duty.

+++

Obi-Wan finally caught Ahsoka alone, before she could leave for her journey, as she had been tracking down where Arseven had gotten off to, only trusting him if she was going to solo fly for so long.

"I can't help but notice you and the Captain--"

"No lectures, please, Master Obi-Wan," she began. "We're friends."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "No, this is not a lecture, Ahsoka. I am tired of those lectures. They only make you, me, and everyone else miserable and cranky."

Ahsoka peered at him skeptically, before reaching up to test his forehead. "Don't feel feverish. Look like Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Oh ha ha." He made a grimace at her. "I wanted to be certain you are looking at the connection between you both with open eyes."

The young woman nodded slowly. "We are friends," she said very firmly. "The stuff underneath that might be something someday, but right now, he and I are both aware that we've been under a lot of stress, and doing anything about it would be dumb and possibly ruin our friendship. He's worried about how young I am anyway, and I'm worried about his inexperience and lack of opportunities to see what's out there. Because, weird as it is, he's both older and younger than me, depending on what part of experience we're looking at."

The man looked at her with faint surprise, and heavy pride. "You continue to prove that you truly are the brightest of your generation, Ahsoka. That is quite mature, and an excellent way to approach it."

She grinned at him. "I might act like a hyper teenager most of the time, but I did a lot of growing up these last three years, Master Obi-Wan. And I know what is most important. The ties that bind us to one another."

"That is a lesson I need you to help me learn, Ahsoka, when you come back."

"You're not doing such a bad job of it, lately, Master. Just remember to actually say how you feel once in awhile. It's what Rex and I did, to hash it out when I kept being a cuddle-monster."

"I'll consider that."

+++

Anakin had waited until the Naboo doctors -- and trauma specialists -- had looked over what he and Rex had cobbled together to deal with a squad at a time and made some modifications, waited until the Security Council cut orders to send the _Resolute_ to Dantooine with the shipment of doctors, and then added himself and Rex to the crew. The doctors might be good people, but the 501st were **his**. 

He was going to be there when they were brought back to themselves, no matter what anyone else in the galaxy thought about it. Well. His wife's opinion would matter, but she would never have tried to hold him against this. 

He'd also been in contact with Admiral Yularen regularly, if covertly, and knew he was welcome on the ship. 

Rex had gotten his armor but kept it in the storage case until they were actually leaving, so that Obi-Wan didn't have to deal with that. The Corellian embassy had delivered all their goods shortly after returning to Coruscant, but wearing civilians had been part of making it easier on the general to cope with him.

He prayed that Kenobi being alive was enough to help Cody get through this.

"Back to the work that matters," he said to his own general, feeling more like himself in the armor, and at peace with the fact that he and his Commander would not be tackling this mission together. It was a temporary split, and she was doing good work for the brothers by searching out Kix.

"Yep," Anakin agreed, resting a hand on his Captain's shoulder for a moment. "The only work that really does, anymore. Protecting our family." 

That the first ones they called to medical were going to be Torrent -- what was left of it, and he bitterly hated the universe in general and Palpatine in specific for a moment -- was never in question. 

Rex returned the hand to shoulder, trying desperately not to think of Fives and the last time he had done this with his protege. 

Walking far away was something he was having to accept for far too many people, and he was worried that the number would increase once they actually started this process.

"We'll need to sequester the ones with them removed from the rest as we go, sir. Or things could get ugly."

"I know," Anakin agreed, using the skin contact to brush soothing and calm to his Captain, his right hand and brother. "We're lucky it's a big ship." 

Rex snorted at that. "Yes."

+++

"You never cease to amaze me, Padmé," Bail said, as he poured citrus-infused water for them both. "I have been a full Senator ten years longer, and yet you consistently manage to take point and cut through all of the haze more swiftly than I can." He settled back, watching her with warmth. 

In the ten-day since she had returned to the Senate, great strides had been made, even if she wasn't able to get all she wanted for the Vod'e. And she had done it while protecting three Jedi and her own children, a fact Bail was one of the few people to know.

"You, Bail, have too many entanglements as a Core Senator. Naboo has more freedom in its positioning, even if that did lead to being vulnerable in the Invasion," she said. "I don't have to worry quite so much about whose toes I step on."

"And yet you still keep many, many people on good terms with you, even when you disagree." He smiled at her. "Now, you have yet to tell me how you skipped out ahead of everything happening, and no, I do not believe the official story of investigating intelligence claims you had heard. Remember, I spoke to Riyo."

Padmé shook her head, then considered how much to tell. So far, everyone had very carefully kept Anakin's name from floating up in relation to any of the events on Coruscant.

"Simply put, Bail, I owe everything to Ahsoka Tano, and her ability to act on her Visions, when so few Jedi could even see things clearly, from what I've learned. She's the reason most of the young Jedi escaped… and no, I do not know where they went, and I doubt anyone will know until the Jedi can be assured they will be safe."

"Understandable," Bail said, while filing that away. He recalled the trial, the stunning conclusion, and how much it had added to the damage in the public eye, concerning Jedi in general.

"You didn't get arrested, right?" Padmé questioned. 

"No. Merely encouraged to remain in my apartment… which I promptly ignored, to see if I could do anything for the Jedi," he admitted. 

She smiled affectionately at him. "Just what I'd expect from you, my friend," she said. "So, give me more insight on the Senators we need to sway," she said, moving this back to business, and he obliged her.


End file.
